LA MIRADA, Calif. – The Montana Tech volleyball team is off to its best start (3-1) since the 2012 season after sweeping both matches on the second day of the Biola Summer Slam Tournament. Tech beat Menlo 3-0 early in the night then took down (RV) The Master's College in the nightcap.
Game one: Tech 3, Menlo College 0
The Diggers made quick work of Menlo College Friday night beating the Oaks in straight sets (25-20, 25-15, 25-23) at the Biola Summer Slam Tournament. Tech's balance attack outhit Menlo.292 to .187. The Oredigers combined for 41 kills while holding Menlo to just 26.
Junior Haley Druyvestein paced the Diggers with a team-best eight kills on 11 attempts. Sydney Norris added seven kills and seven digs while Makenzie Bauck chipped in with a match-high 22 assists.
Menlo jumped out to an early 9-7 lead in the first set. That lead would not last as the Diggers came back to tie up the contest at 13 all. Tech would then go on a 7-to-3 run taking the 20-16 advantage. The Oaks made a late push but back-to-back Tech kills sealed the victory.
It was all Copper and Green in the second set as the Diggers scored the first point and never looked back. Tech's lead ballooned to 10 (19-9) following a Menlo error. The powerful Digger offense prevented the Oaks from making a comeback as Tech cruised to the 25-15 win.
Both teams seesawed on the scoreboard early on in the third frame. Tech took a slight 11-7 edge thanks to block assists by Mariah Cooney and Karina Mickelson. The Oaks tied up the contest at 12 all via three straight service aces by Kori Paradis. This did not phases the determined Diggers as they continued to battle and held on to the 25-23 win.
Note: Butte native Mariah Cooney played in her first contest since 2013. She totaled three kills and a block.
Game two: Tech 3, (RV) The Master's College 0
The Diggers continued to stay hot taking down the Lady Mustangs 25-22, 25-22, 25-22 Friday night. Haley Druyvestein had another solid performance with 10 kills and two blocks. Makenzie Bauck filled the stat sheet with four kills, 28 assists, three digs and three blocks. Angie Pancost contributed with a match-high 16 digs and four service aces.
With the score tied at 7-7 in the first set, Tech used a 10-2 run to pull away with the 17-9 advantage. TMC's late run fell short as the Digger defense prevented a comeback and sealed the 25-22 victory.
Tech limited The Master's to just .132 hit percentage and eight errors in the second set. The Diggers trailed most of the stanza until Bauck's back-to-back service aces gave Tech a 22-20 lead forcing a Lady Mustang timeout. Montana Tech would not look back as Pancost closed out the set with a service ace of her own.
The Orediggers were red hot in the third set with 15 kills on .481 hitting percentage. However, the Lady Mustangs were just has hot hitting .400 and 12 kills.
Both teams went back-and-forth on the score board throughout the stanza. Tech broke a 20-20 tie late in the contest via a Bailie Cortner kill. The Diggers continued the momentum and held on to the 25-22 victory.
The Diggers return home to take on Pacific Union College (Calif.) on Thursday August 27th at 3:00 p.m. as they play in the first match of the Big Sky Volleyball Challenge.
